Playlist 25.10.09 (10:16 pm)
Tonight we had a big Aaron Martin interview, and featured lots of his work. Download the interview separately.
Also, tonight is my last Utility Fog for 4 weeks as I go gallivanting around the USA. Back in time for the last Sunday of November.
LISTEN AGAIN link at bottom of playlist. Download size is smaller due to technical stuff-up.
While we continue to celebrate Ben Frost’s new album, it was interesting to dive back into his earlier work again, this time to 2005, when he rather stunned the locals by getting himself the gig of remixing Björk. And a fine job he did too.
emptyset are a duo from Bristol making deliciously sparse and deep electronic music of the like that Pan Sonic are known for. I don't think it's a coincidence that one of the mathematical symbols for the empty set is Ø, which Pan Sonic member Mika Vainio records under. The self-titled album by these guys has grown on me a lot, and I've been listening to a few tracks repeatedly.
Tonight featured a lot of repeated artists - new releases and stellar releases suggested this theme. Inch-time’s debut CD in 2004 was featured heavily on this show — the folktronica with deep bass action suiting the 'Fog perfectly — so it was a great pleasure to receive a promo from Stefan of his forthcoming 12". I took the opportunity to play a track from his first CD and one from his previous album, as well as a newie.
And thence into Aaron Martin. He's a lovely feller, and his music — made of cello, banjo, guitars, sundry percussion, found sounds and field recordings, as well as some vocals and no doubt other instruments in the mix — is a unique treasure.
With 3 hours to fill, Utility Fog is able to engage in some delightful indulgences now and then, so tonight we heard what amounted to about half of the new Necks album. Most of their studio albums from the last 10 years or so (Hanging Gardens was 1999!) could count as among their best, and this is no exception, with swooping organ, lush piano and percussion, warm and tight bass and some very tight beats in the middle.
Tonight's takings from the new Ben Frost album are named after Bill Murray's character in Ghostbusters, but the ghosts they evoke are altogether more scary. I'm thinking this is album of the year, or very close to.
Big call, I know :)
Melbournians royalchord are deviating in some fascinating ways from their alt.country roots. The tracks with weird Casio keyboards and simple drum machines under the plaintive vocals are very beguiling.
UFog regular Hauschka has a new 3" EP on the very cute secret furry hole label. It's back to pretty much solo prepared piano, and it's lovely.
A rude shock follows, with Fuck Buttons’ acid techno noise. Quite a lush album, not quite as noisy and untethered as it could have been, but Andrew Weatherall’s production lends it a certain something.
Meanwhile, Sydney instrumental ROCK band Captain Kickarse and the Awesomes have a new EP out, and it rocks in their usual fashion.
We then dip back down to Melbourne, where Julian Williams is purveying some experimental pop featuring that very Melbournian light-voiced almost-whinge singing which I have to admit I'm not quite sure about. But he's a member of Hi-God People, so he's automatically awesome. Co-released by Synaesthesia, who upped-and-relocated to London a few years back, so it's nice to see them pitching in here.
We heard from Alister Spence Trio’s new album fit last week, and its scintillating textures required another outing. Fans of Triosk, 3ofmillions and indeed The Necks take note.
Finally, to see me off as I won't get to play him for 4 weeks now, two tracks from fieldhead’s wonderful album, which should be out in just over a week. Mixing Machinefabriek-style drone-noise with clicky 2step beats and folktronic elements, it's another entry in the top albums of the year.
Björk - Desired Constellation (Ben Frost's School of Emotional Engineering Mix) [One Little Indian]
emptyset - Gate 3 [Caravan]
emptyset - Completely Gone [Caravan]
Inch-time - a handful of dust [Static Caravan]
Inch-time - red in green [self-released; re-released by Static Caravan is also out of print]
Inch-time - Icicles and Snowflakes [Static Caravan]
Aaron Martin - Karl Rove [Preservation]
Aaron Martin - Two and a Half Acres [Preservation]
...inteview with Aaron Martin, with excerpts from "Kentucky", "Tire Swing", "Terrace" (on Under the Spire), Wheat Beetle (on now-defunct netlabel My Formica Table), "Branch Wheel", "Tilton's", "Cello Recycling" (with and self-released by Machinefabriek, also on Type), "Terrace (Grand View)" (with Part Timer, forthcoming on Under the Spire)...
Aaron Martin - Burl [forthcoming on sound&fury]
The Necks - 25-30 minute excerpt from Silverwater [Fish of Milk, through Shock]
Ben Frost - Peter Venkman Pt I [Bedroom Community]
Ben Frost - Peter Venkman Pt II [Bedroom Community]
royalchord - It's Not Who [Mistletone]
Hauschka - flingern [secret furry hole]
Fuck Buttons - Phantom Limb [ATP Records]
Fuck Buttons - Space Mountain [ATP Records]
Captain Kickarse and the Awesomes - Doubletank [self-released]
Julian Williams - Fairground Secret Rite [Synaesthesia/Spill]
Alister Spence Trio - wash away [Rufus Records]
Alister Spence Trio - caught in light (reprise) [Rufus Records]
fieldhead - introductions [home assembly music]
fieldhead - this train is a rainbow [home assembly music]
Listen again — ~170MB. File is lower bitrate than usual because a re-edit was required and, er, it's a long story m'kay?
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